


Who, What, Where?

by Withstarryeyes



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Cute, Fainting, Fluff, Hallmark moment, Hurt/Comfort, Injured Tony, Love Story, M/M, Romance, Sappiness, Sappy, Vertigo - Freeform, concussed Tony, concussion, h/c, injured, speech
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-11
Updated: 2016-06-13
Packaged: 2018-06-07 17:18:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6816205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Withstarryeyes/pseuds/Withstarryeyes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony wakes up in the morning in his bed with a hell of a headache, a sleeping super soldier in his bed and a blank as to what just happened last night. Just what exactly happened with Steve? And just how happy is Tony going to be when he figures it out?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

This wasn’t just a day and that sure as hell wasn’t just a girl in his bed. Tony flipped onto his side, wincing as the sheets clung to the arc reactor. his head ached. Concussion? Whiskey? At this point Tony couldn’t even tell. 

The light was streaming through his curtains, violating his brown eyes and causing him to hiss out (not unlike a vampire but he’d never admit that). When his eyes adjusted to the more than asshole sun, Tony looked at the what he’d assumed to be empty bed. 

His breath caught in his throat, his stomach turning over like a pancake being flipped. 

“Shit,” He whispered, his hand coming to cup the side of one Steven Rogers’ head. His blonde hair was sticking up in all directions, his blue eyes closed and mouth dropped open just enough to let out like puffs of air. He looked peaceful and Tony fought against the flashbacks to his gift from Wanda 

Cold air blasted from the ceiling, boosting Tony out of his bewilderment long enough to check-- yup pants on. Breathing a sigh of relief Tony moved onto the next task. Wondering just what happened to lead Steve (Cap if anyone formal asked him his name) to take a nap in his bed. 

He stood, twirling the strings that hung from the bottom of his pajamas and maneuvered over to his bathroom. The mirror revealed a few more clues. He had two black eyes, a little band aid over the crest of his nose. There was a patch of gauze stuck to the side of his head and Tony peeled back the corner, wincing at the dried blood that came along with the paper. There was 3 short slashes, parting his hair and Tony saw that however neatly stitched were bust open. Tony figured he must have ripped them out in his sleep.  

He turned his head, leaning over to grab his toothbrush when he saw the second gash on his body. It stretched from his elbow down to his wrist, neat stitches closing the wound. There was no gauze on this one and Tony wondered who the hell he went to for medical. Not lost on him that he had no recollection of getting these injuries. A spike of fear ran through his body as he finished brushing his teeth, combing his hair and unceremoniously plopping himself back in bed next to his crush. One Steve Rogers at his service. 

What service that was, Tony wasn’t entirely sure. 

Loud music crashed into the room like drunks at a wedding and Tony jumped, fumbling his fingers around the side table before clasping his cell phone. It was blaring Heat of The Moment and Tony had just flipped off the goddamn noise, palmed his aching head into his fingers when Steve moaned, a raspy gruff grunt coming deep from his throat. 

Tony stiffened, his body rivaling a statue as Steve rolled over in the bed, there were rips in his gray shirt, patches of blood soaking the corners. There was  a smear of blood on his cheek and as Steve’s eyes opened, adjusting to the brightness of the room, Tony wondered whose blood it was. 

“T’ny?” Tony briefly wondered how to explain everything, or go about asking when Steve wrapped an arm around his waist and tugged, tucking the smaller man’s head under his chin and proceeding to try and sleep. 

Tony yelped, wriggling out of the grip and turning to face a very confused Steve. 

“Tony, what the hell?” Steve pouted (pouted?) and Tony felt like he was choking on air. 

“I- What?” 

Steve bolted to attention then, his eyes roaming over Tony like he cared. Sure they were friends, and on several occasions had shared body heat. Sure Tony fell in love with the man but they’d never dated. So why would Steve look at him like they were dating?

“Are you okay?” Steve asked, inching towards Tony and pulling the side of his head down to get a better look at the stitches. Steve winced, palmed half of Tony’s cheek in his hand and angled his head to peer into honey eyes. 

“What happened? Why are you in my bed?” Tony asked and Steve once again grew still. A scowl etched itself onto Steve’s face and Tony relaxed under the familiar expression. 

“We need to get you to Bruce,”

“Why? Steve?” Tony pulled Steve’s hand down from his temple, his head protested as his eyebrows drew forward into a furrow. 

“Because you seem not to remember last night. Or what we um... did,” Steve blushed, the pink flooding his cheeks. 

“Oh,” 

“Yeah, oh, do you remember any of the mission?” Steve asked and Tony shook his head, a little more than unnerved. 

“Bruce now,” Steve commanded and had Tony not been so freaked he may have made a remark on the tone. Instead, his lumbered to his feet, waited for Steve to come by his side and thoughtlessly followed the soldier down to Bruce’s penthouse.

Some information had to be better than what Tony had now. 


	2. Chapter 2

“Tony?” Steve’s voice called out.

Tony blinked a few times, swayed in place and looked around. They’d arrived at Bruce’s apartment and Tony felt a spike of fear run through him. He couldn’t remember walking over here at all.

Steve’s hand wrapped around his arm and Tony’s eyes flickered over to the man. He glanced up to see Bruce rushing back to go grab a medical kit.

“Tony are you okay?” His voice sounded warped and Tony reached a hand to wrap around his hair, wincing as it tugged on the scratches.

“I’m fine,” Tony said a several seconds too late. There was black inching around the edges of his mind. He felt his body dropping into Steve and yet all Tony could think was ‘when did I get here’.

The ceiling was just coming into focus, bright blue swirling into a pearly white when he heard the voices around him.

“Bruce, he’s awake,” Steve said and Tony tilted his head, trying to locate the doctor. “Hey there are the brown eyes I like to see,” Steve said, smoothing a hand over Tony’s hair. An emotion crossed over the soldier’s face as he removed his hand but Tony couldn’t quite figure out what it was.

“What happened?” Tony felt like he’d been asking that a little too much lately.

Steve just shrugged, got up and disappeared from Tony’s sight. His head ached and the scratches stng but Tony happily noted that the confusion had passed for now. All those symptoms added up to to a nasty concussion and Tony winced at the time he’d be benched from fighting.

Not that that was his first concern. Not with Steve and whatever happened with him that his mind decided to delete.

“Here, “ Tony jumped as a cold glass was settled in his hand. He blushed furiously as Steve’s blue eyes pinned his own. Tony cleared his throat, taking a sip of the water.

“So uh,” Tony wrapped a hand around the back of his neck. He just couldn’t look Steve in the eyes. It was like looking at the moon and making a wish. He felt like this couldn’t have happened. Never. He was cold-hearted Stark and Steve was that kind-hearted kid from Brooklyn. “I’m assuming I blacked out, considering we were in the hallway last and now I’m on a couch.”

Steve looked ready to punch a wall.

Tony smiled sheepishly.

Bruce emerged from the depths of his apartment, carrying a penlight and a suture kit. “Yes Tony you have a concussion, a severe one at that,” There was annoyance in his voice.

Tony sighed, clenching his fists at the injustice of it all. He didn’t remember anything, didn’t know what he had done. Probably something stupid but that couldn’t be verified. “Can somebody just explain what happened? I know I’m a genius but even I can’t… e’n I can’t…” Tony clenched his head in between his hands, his dizziness reaching a new level.

“Tony? Fuck, Tony,” Steve was rubbing his back and Bruce was trying to coax information out of him. Tony slumped down on the couch, trying to curl into himself to get rid of the vertigo. He felt dizzy and hot and like his tongue didn’t work but all he could focus on was the tilting world. He felt tears slipping out of the corners of his eyes, the salt stinging the minor cuts on his face. He whimpered.

“I’m fine,” But even to him it felt like a lie.

“Only you would decide to kill the fucking beast alone, then get knocked into a building, forget everything that happened the night before, pass out in the hallway and then say he’s fine,” Steve’s voice was steel.

Slowly, like water leaking into a boat, the dizziness faded and Tony had time to ponder what Steve had just said. A building, well he surmised it was better than the portal in New York.

“Well only I am amazing enough to make all of that happen,” Tony winked. Steve looked ready to punch a wall again.

Tony looked at Steve then, his eyes were stern but not unkind. His jaw was doing the clenching thing that made Tony want to lick his jaw until it relaxed. His arms were folded against his chest and Tony could imagine going over and parting them, making them wrap around his body instead, His head nuzzled under Steve’s chin. His lips were pressed together, turning white in the center where the pressure was pushing away blood. Tony couldn't deny that he knew how to return that blood flow.

“How many of those dizzy spells have you had?” Bruce asked and Tony tore his eyes away from Steve, his cheeks inflaming with shame.

“I had one this morning but it was pretty mild. I’m fine, just got knocked around a bit according to Steve.”

“Getting chucked into a building by a 30 ft bob-cat at 80 mph is not getting knocked around a bit,” Steve growled.

Tony had to admit the about to punch a wall thing was pretty hot.

“You never told me there was a cat fight yesterday,” Tony smirked, imagining two too drunk college girls pulling each other’s hair out in some bar. But the fight with the bobcat explained the scratches on his head and arm.

That was one thing down. But what happened with Steve? What changed so much last night that Tony’s sickness made him want to punch a wall? He still had a lot to get down.


	3. Chapter 3

When they left Bruce’s Tony trailed Steve’s form. He’d seemed to lose the anger and the tenseness but there was an uncertainty in his gait that Tony could feel as his feet punched the hallway. 

“Steve?” Tony called out. 

“Hmm,” Steve hummed, turning his head to his side and slowing his pace so Tony could catch up. 

Tony caught up, taking in Steve’s ripped t-shirt once more. It had to be lingering from the battle and Tony wondered why he hadn’t changed it yet. He lifted his hand, dragging his fingers through the tears in the fabric, careful to avoid the pure skin underneath. 

“Tony?” Steve cleared his throat, “What’d you want to say?”

Tony refocused his attention on Steve, making eye contact with the super soldier. He thought back to all the stupid stunts he’d pulled over the years. Afghanistan, New York, the places were battles, reminders. “I’m sorry,” Tony said, pulling his hand through his hair once again. Steve cocked his head to the side like a confused puppy. 

“I’m sure I went against orders, I’m sure I endangered everyone. I know I had to have a good reason. But I really am sorry for getting thrown into a building. Even if it’s not the first nor the last stupid thing I’ll ever do.” 

Steve stopped in his tracks and Tony felt his breathing hitch, like he was suspended for a second in air before plummeting. “Thank you.” Steve said and Tony looked up, surprised, to see Steve beaming. Tony nodded, felt a little niggle of comfort bloom in his mind knowing that he’d set something right. 

“And Tony?” Steve started, grabbing Tony’s arm, his eyes genuine, “I’m sorry for ever making that laying down on the line speech in New York, if I knew what it would lead to,” Steve chuckled, blew out a breath and rolled his eyes. “It was a dick move on my part.”

Tony felt that for the first time, in a long time, he’d made a new friend. One that he’d been dying to get to know for a while. 

They made it back to the apartment then and Tony scanned the rooms, finding clues from after the mission. There was a new blood stain on the couch, his suit was scattered about the apartment, the face plate pounded into unrecognizable metal. Before his eyes a scene of team members dragging in a half-conscious Tony appeared. They’d probably had Thor and Steve rip off the suit, Clint disappearing to find Bruce de-hulked and Natasha waiting on the sidelines, alcohol and a suture kit in one hand, a phone to Fury in the other. 

The image ended there, Tony not knowing how exactly it would have escalated from the team taking care of him to just Steve and him in bed. He blushed at just thinking of it. Him and Steve kissing, talking, falling asleep at the end of the adrenaline rush. It felt like too much of a fantasy for Tony to trust the reality of it, the weight it brought and set down on the table like Mjolnir. He didn't deserve Steve.

“Sorry about the suit. Thor and I had to rip it off, Jarvis went AWOL and we couldn’t tell if you were conscious or not,” Steve broke a little on the not and Tony winced, knowing that any time he was down it reminded everyone of New York. Damn, he really needed to work on the team work thing. 

“Eh, I have three others downstairs. What I’m more worried about is you,” Tony said, dragging Steve over to the couch. He itched for a glass of whiskey but knew it wouldn’t help his concussion. 

“Me?” Steve did the confused puppy head-cock again. Damn him and his too cute mannerisms. 

“I don’t know what happened last night. I’d like to know,” Tony looked at his carpet, avoiding Steve’s eye gaze. He’d only pep-talked himself into confronting Steve’s story, not his emotions. 

“No.”

“No?” Tony stood up from the couch, “Why? Did I... what did I do?”

“You were out of your mind then. I don’t want anything you did to be held against you or for you to get that idea,” Steve said and Tony heard the underlying  _ ‘please don’t withdraw like you always do’. _

Usually Steve’s concern pleased him, made him feel validated. Today it just pissed Tony off. He had a blank memory and he didn’t like that memory to remain unfilled. 

“Tell me what the fuck happened last night,” Tony was furious that information was being withheld from him like he was a child. 

“You really want to know?” Steve challenged and Tony felt like punching him. _No, he’d done all of this_ , all of this asking to just come out the other side the sad, pathetic, amnesiac. Of _course_ he wanted to know. 

“Yes I want to know,” The words were short, stuttered in between urges to rip apart the room. 

"You told me you loved me,” Steve said and Tony sucked in a gasp. The world stopped moving, he stopped breathing. He’d told Steve he loved him? The anger rushed out of Tony and he gripped the edge of the arc reactor, his heart thumping against the metal too quickly. “Happy now?” Steve muttered, knocking into Tony’s shoulder and leaving the room. 

_ Happy now?   _ Yes, Tony was ecstatic. But now he’d screwed everything up by making him tell him and freezing up and oh my god he loved Steve and he’d told him and…

Tony blew out a breath. There’d be a lot of fixing to do.


	4. Chapter 4

His heart's still beating so hard it could support a football team when Tony knows he needs to go after Steve. He needs to tell him that he’s sorry. That he does love him. He always has.

He’s shaking and putting one foot in front of the other when the dizziness comes back into play. Tony groaned, cursed all the Gods for this fucking concussion  making things difficult.  Nevermind that, Tony continued his march, his hand trailing the wall to keep upright. It’s sorta like being trapped on a spinning roller coaster with a straight track and sure Tony feels like he’s gonna throw up, pass out, and scream all at the same time but he’s making progress.

Still a foot away from the door he stops, leans on the wall with his head in his hands. 

“Steve,” He called and he knows the guy can hear him from the creaking of the floor under the soldier’s weight. However, Steve refuses to respond. Tony just hopes he’s listening. 

“I just, I want to…” Tony slid down the wall, hoping the sturdier position will make the dizziness fade enough to string coherent sentences. 

“Go away Tony,” Exasperation is tangible in the words he heard. 

“I meant it,” Tony said  and it seems so important, so magical. Like the words can fix all the chaos he’s caused. 

“No shit, Tony. I know that. But that doesn’t take back the fact that you might not be ready to admit that, take on the responsibility that comes with that confession. And I don’t want to see you leave because all you’ve ever been taught to do in the face of commitment is run.”  

“You know that state I go into when I’m working on making something?” 

There was nothing but silence in the hallway. Tony sighed long and deep, running a hand through his hair. 

“It’s because I find that beautiful. Every gear and cog and screw that I’ve put into to make something gorgeous. Designed brilliantly by me, built up by me, a gift from me to everyone I care about. I go into that same state when I look at you. You were built with purpose, with glory in mind. You are beautiful inside and out, Steve. For every mouth watering ab on your body there’s a part of your heart I adore. I love that you draw little kids in caricature form and give it out for free just to see a smile on their face. I love your eyes, the same exact shade as the bomb pops I ate as a kid. I love that you use your influence to tell society to vaccinate their fucking kids. You’re gorgeous,” Tony finished a little breathless and more than dizzy. His heart was thumping and he could feel the hurt in his chest. The hurt that reminded him that he still loved.

He could hear Steve’s door creak open and could feel the drift of warm air from the air vents above him. He was still seated on the floor, his dizziness overwhelming but he’d made it where he’d wanted to go. To Steve, because he'd always go to Steve. Hell, even concussed and confused he made his way to the brooklyn-local. 

“I know I’m not anyone worth loving. I’m a far cry from Prince Charming. But if you’re doubting my commitment and loyalty know it’s nothing you should be concerned about,” Tony finished and he felt lighter. Maybe it was his ego being shaved down like parmesan antop italian pasta or maybe it was knowing that he hadn’t just wasted years of feelings in one concussed night. 

He opened his eyes then. The ones he closed like he was sending out a wish and Steve was in front of him. Towering over him with a look on his face Tony could only identify as the ‘You know I hate that you can’t make me stay mad at you’ look. Tony was analyzing the lines in the face that could even make that expression possible, the little downturn in the mouth and the smile in the eyes and the sheer exasperation that had to be set in his shoulders. 

Until he couldn’t analyze it anymore because there were lips on his and oh god, react Tony, react. So he kissed back and he couldn’t have felt better. 

“You’re fucking ridiculous you know?” Steve said and there the exasperation resurfaced. 

“But loveable,” Tony paused to wink, “And also really dizzy. Did you know that concussions were such a pain in the ass?”

Steve’s laughter was all that Tony needed to know that it was the only thing he _needed_ in his life as he pulled Steve closer for a deeper kiss. One hand curled around the blonde locks at the nape of Steve’s neck, the other fisted into the white t-shirt Steve wore. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hey so this will be a multi-chapter fic but I was wondering if y'all would like to see more. If so please leave a comment or kudos. I appreciate any feedback you can give me. Thanks! :)


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